2024 WorldMakers Awardee Foundation for Louisiana

Or Shovaly (guitarist) had never cared to be the life of the party, but he always cared to throw a good party. That’s the original reason he put together the project ‘Or Shovaly Plus.’  Whether backed by a group or playing solo - Or always brings a good vibe.
 

His music is like a cozy sofa to kick back on and sip on a good drink. It is like fresh water to dip your feet in. It is like a walk in nature. It is a reason to dance.

The project 'Or Shovaly Plus,' developed organically in the vibrant scene of the greatest music city, New Orleans. Initially playing popular New Orleans repertoire in different genres such as jazz, funk, blues, Latin and world music. Through extensive musical development live on the stage and in the studio, Or’s original music has emerged - weaving together all of his influences into a very personal yet relatable style.

Thanks to the endless music possibilities New Orleans has to offer and the natural and adoptive formation process of the project, ‘Or Shovaly Plus’ appears in the shape of different ensembles. Most commonly, you can catch Or playing with his popular upbeat organ trio (guitar, organ, drums), often joined by two horns. At other times you might see him perform with a double bassist as a duo or joined by a horn, drums or conga player to form a soothing yet uplifting jazz trio. In addition Or really enjoys playing intimate solo guitar shows.

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As a kid, Or loved sitting with his grandma at the piano to figure out how to play popular songs by ear. At the age of 9, he expressed interest in learning guitar and a few years into his studies, he was introduced to the Blues. The rhythmically driven, improvisational nature of the music resonated with the young child deeply, as it struck familiarity and resembled the nature of folk music of the Middle East, where Or’s roots are from. This fusion of cultures - east and west  - has always been an essential element of his journey through life and music and this sound came to life with his debut album.

In 2024, Or was one of forty Louisiana-based artists awarded the Foundation for Louisiana’s 2024 World Makers Grant, which gave life to the band’s self-titled debut studio album, Or Shovaly Plus (2024).  The album is comprised by four original compositions and one arrangement for the New Orleans standard ‘St James Infirmary’ and features an organ trio joined by saxophone and trumpet.

The album draws inspiration from the CTI Records Label (which captured the soul jazz /  world music fusion sound of the 70’s) along with artists like ‘Soulive,’  ‘Galactic,’ Grant Green, Peter Bernstein, Freddie Hubbard, Nicholas Payton, Avishai Cohen and Brian Seeger (Organic Trio).
 

Like the city of New Orleans, the music on this album is about celebrating life; it combines street art with museum art;  fuses classic and contemporary, simplicity with sophistication, slang and poetry, the exotic and the familiar, dance music and listening music. It is not meant to be groundbreaking, but rather an honest expression of Or’s unedited, natural musical self, imperfect and authentic to its core.

The compositions feature simple and catchy, yet distinctive melodies over the background of rich intriguing harmonies and driven by unique bass riffs that groove hard.  The album sets the perfect atmosphere for a BBQ pool party, a scenic car ride or a smoke break at the end of a long day. It was written with the intent of uplifting spirits and make the body move.

One of Or’s favorite ensembles is the organ trio, on this record is joined by tenor saxophone and trumpet. The band members are long time collaborators, both within the context of the Or Shovaly Plus and other projects: Or Shovaly – Guitar, Benjamin Matlack – Trumpet, Kyle Lankton - Tenor Saxophone, Andrew Salow - Hammond B3 Organ, Sam Colgate - Drums

Aside from his work as the leader of ‘Or Shovaly Plus,’ Or has made significant contributions and gained recognition as the lead guitarist for the Afrobeat band ‘Kumasi.’ He has played on their albums such as Togetherness (2015), Akoben (2018), and Live at the Marigny Studios (2021). Kumasi's music has garnered recognition, with multiple nominations for Gambit's Best of the Big Easy Award. Notably, they won the award for Best World/Latin music in both 2017 and 2019.